Explore Featured Degree Options in Education

The online Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education prepares you to become a transformative K–12 teacher. Through live online classes and enriching field experiences in your community, you can earn your MAT in less than 18 months without relocating.

Vanderbilt University's Peabody College offers an online Master of Education in human development counseling with a specialization in school counseling for students interested in becoming school counselors and making a meaningful difference in K–12 settings.

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Steps to Becoming a Teacher in New Hampshire

Important Note: Education licensure requirements, statistics and other information are subject to change. Teach.com makes its best effort to keep content accurate; however, the official sources are the state education departments. Please confirm licensing requirements with your state before applying for licensure or renewal. (Last update: 02/17/2019)

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Prerequisite Coursework in New Hampshire

All states require at least a bachelor’s degree to teach. New Hampshire does not have any additional credit hour requirements, although each field or subject area requires specific competencies. See NH Teacher Certification Standards for more information.

Initial Teaching Certifications

To earn your New Hampshire teaching credential you will have to complete the appropriate amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program. Learn more about earning your New Hampshire teaching credential through the New Hampshire Department of Education Bureau of Credentialing.

Earn recognition of your ability to develop and deliver a memorable teaching experience when you receive a premier certificate from Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, in association with HarvardX, upon successful course completion.

Alternative Certification in New Hampshire

The State of New Hampshire offers four alternative routes to certification:

Alternative 2 is a process whereby New Hampshire accepts candidates from all states and other jurisdictions if the candidate graduated from an approved state program, or has been employed as a certified teacher for at least three years out of the last seven, or completed an alternative certification program.

Alternative 3 is designed for candidates who have gained the competencies, skills, and knowledge through means other than Alternative 1 or Alternative 2. The Alternative 3 process includes both a written examination and an oral review. Candidates may request teaching, administrative, or educational specialist certification on the basis of demonstrated competencies and equivalent experiences.

Alternative 4 is designed for individuals who have skills and knowledge in an area where there is a shortage of qualified teachers. Each shortage area has its own requirements for competencies, coursework, and/or experience. The district superintendent then draws up an Individualized Professional Development Plan leading to full certification.

Alternative 5 involves on-the-job training for candidates holding a bachelor’s degree with some coursework in the area(s) to be taught (30 credits are required for secondary school subjects). This route is available if a local school district is willing to assume the responsibility for training and supervising the teacher candidate

New Hampshire Teacher Certification Information & Links

Transferring Your Certification

Certification Reciprocity in New Hampshire

Interstate reciprocity is a program that allows teachers certified in one state to teach in another state. Through the Alternative 2 certification process, New Hampshire will recognize education and/or certification in other states. To find out which other state teaching licenses can be used in New Hampshire, visit the Teach.com reciprocity page. Or, for more specific questions about your situation, contact the New Hampshire Department of Education.

New Hampshire Teacher Benefits and Retirement

Public school teachers in New Hampshire are enrolled in the New Hampshire Retirement System. Teachers who are age 60 or older can retire with no minimum service requirement. Teachers aged 50–59 are eligible for early retirement with a minimum of 10 years of service. Teachers under age 50 need at least 20 years of service to retire early.

New Hampshire Teacher Shortage Areas

Teacher Shortage information was provided by the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listings (Pg 117) for 2017-18, and was determined by examining the most recent data about unfilled teaching positions; positions filled by teachers certified by irregular, provisional, temporary, or emergency certification; and teachers teaching in subject areas other than their area of preparation.

Career Advancement

Professional Development for New Hampshire Teachers

New Hampshire has a network of online and on-site professional development organizations, including NEA-NH and New Hampshire Educators Online. See the New Hampshire Department of Education’s list of resource links for more details.

Teachers in New Hampshire are required to draw up their own personal development plan for license renewal, including a minimum of 75 credits plus 30 credits for each additional area in which they are certified to teach.

Benefits of a Master's Degree in New Hampshire

It is no longer enough to just have years of experience in teaching. After No Child Left Behind and other academic quantification measures, the careers of teachers increasingly depend on their results in the classroom. A master’s degree in the field of education can give you more educational theory and classroom skills, as well as more hands-on student teaching experience with a mentor.

After a master’s program, you may be able to achieve better results in the classroom and have more job security and higher pay. In Manchester, a teacher holding a master’s degree can earn roughly $4,470 more per year than a teacher without an advanced degree, according to 2017-2018 data from The National Council of Teacher Quality.

Explore Featured Program Options in Education

The online Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from the USC Rossier School of Education prepares you to become a transformative K–12 teacher. Through live online classes and enriching field experiences in your community, you can earn your MAT in less than 18 months without relocating.

The 8-week Teaching and Learning Strategies for Higher Education online short course is delivered by Harvard’s Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, in association with HarvardX. Students in this course will engage deeply with the most relevant research on effective teaching methods in the higher education context, while refining their own practices, portfolio, and teaching philosophy.

Vanderbilt University's Peabody College offers an online Master of Education in human development counseling with a specialization in school counseling for students interested in becoming school counselors and making a meaningful difference in K–12 settings.